


tastes like strawberries

by astrominho



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Exploration, M/M, Prince ! Jisung, Prince ! Minho, Strawberry Dresses, chan is basically an angel, everyone loves jisung, minho is a moody shit at the beginning, they are best friends losers, they like wearing pretty dresses, yeah this is pretty soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26421442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrominho/pseuds/astrominho
Summary: across the room minho could see the pink and red colours of the aeroc royals glinting tantalisingly. he could have sworn they were deliberately trying to torture him, their flowing clothes light on their bodies. he wouldn’t have put it past them really. their countries had been rivals for as long as he could remember, and each visit usually merited several cruel smirks from the brutes, whose wardrobes were clearly much better adapted for the sweltering weather.dt to mari and sara who put this most fabulous idea in my head <33
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	tastes like strawberries

**Author's Note:**

> just for clarification :  
> minho : tanos prince // colours : black + blue  
> jisung : aeroc prince // colours : pink + red  
> the world they live in means they have to wear the colours assigned to their country at all time

minho well and truly despised this time of year. it was hot, and the ridiculous clothes he was forced into stuck uncomfortably to his skin. the temperatures at home were bad enough, but of course the angels had to force them all into the hottest region in the entire continent just as the warmest part of the season arrived. how could he possibly expect anything less?  
and as if that wasn’t bad enough, the stupid clothes he had to wear were really the cherry on the cake. an itchy navy shirt, complete with a heavy black suit, decorated with seemingly thousands of sparkling gems, which probably should have looked nice, but minho found himself more preoccupied with the extra weight they added to the already impossibly restrictive outfit. his shoes were equally frustrating, an ugly blue, and so tight his feet felt like they might fall off only ten minutes in, paired with what felt like the uncomfortable version of fluffy socks … minho couldn’t stand the stylists. did they think it was mid-winter or something ?

the only thing that offered him the slightest respite were his earrings. two years ago he’d snapped slightly after suffering through the entire three days with some absurd hippopotamus wedges stuck in his earlobes, the unfortunate animal representative of his country, tanos. now at least, the maids were forbidden from touching his face and ears. and maybe he wasn’t allowed to be as creative as he wanted with the makeup, but he was at least allowed some light eyeshadow, and blush, and some gems, so long as they were ‘on theme’ and not too noticeable. his hair was still crusty with hair spray though, and the navy blue hat which was perched on top of his curls made his head hot and itchy. the burning sun beating down on them as they waved their way through the airport was enough to make his forehead pound, and minho found himself hating his colours more than ever. oh to have colours like the other countries, something light and cool, so that his body didn’t have to absorb the warmth of an entire burning ball of gas. black sucked, he decided.

across the room minho could see the pink and red colours of the aeroc royals glinting tantalisingly. he could have sworn they were deliberately trying to torture him, their flowing clothes light on their bodies. he wouldn’t have put it past them really. their countries had been rivals for as long as he could remember, and each visit usually merited several cruel smirks from the brutes, whose wardrobes were clearly much better adapted for the sweltering weather. the king and queen stood proud at the opposite end of the airport, their three daughters and single son huddled slightly further away, possibly trying to escape the chilling cage of the guards that flanked the royals. he noticed how whilst the parents looked cold (albeit somewhat smug) , the four children were all pictures of pure joy, their faces lit up as they laughed together. minho thought it would be difficult to hate anyone who radiated that much happiness.

he found himself wishing he and his brothers were that close too. the five older siblings had never had much time for him, and only really spoke to him to tell him he was doing something wrong. like when he forgot that befriending the guards wasn’t acceptable behaviour, or acted slightly too feminine, or didn’t show enough hostility towards the aerocians, and other stupid mistakes. . their voices were always always the first to reprimand him, tell him he was messing it all up. other than that he was pretty much invisible. it didn’t bother him too much, he knew he wasn’t suited to living a prince’s lifestyle, and was happy enough leaving his five older brothers to scrap over the spotlight they all liked to soak in so much. he would play the part of the forgotten prince any day if it meant he got a little more privacy.

he was snapped out of his brief daydream when he became aware of the fact that everyone around him had stiffened, standing up slightly straighter, faces a little more serious, and in his brothers cases, chests puffed out as much as they could possibly muster. he clocked the colourless uniform of the angels guards marching through the largest doors in the airport before a familiar face entered. chan, the youngest , and probably most adored of the lords came in, dressed like the angel he was, his white clothes shimmering in the rays of light that streamed through the windows, each angled perfectly to accentuate his beauty. his presence lit up the room, and he smiled graciously round at all the star struck families. minho believed that his soul had to be made of gold. what else could explain the unimaginable good looks, the constant sunshine of a smile, and the ability to make every human in the room feel appreciated? this man was well and truly blessed by the gods, no mistake. then again, the angels generally were. they were chosen for their positions well, and there were never tales of abuse of power like in the olden days. still, chan certainly had something special about him, even amongst the most elite.

after welcoming them all, he ushered the families politely through the doors he'd come through, and led them through the pristine corridors down to the riverside at the far end of the airport where several boats floated in anticipation. each one had a flag raised for its respective country, blue and black for tanos, pink and red for aeroc , green and purple for naruf, yellow and orange for sorja... and so on. minho just thanked the gods that the entire boat wasn’t painted the dismal colours of his kingdom too. he managed to find a slight bit of shelter from the beaming sun in the corner of the boat underneath a ridge, and stayed crouched there for the entire journey, not even standing to watch as the castle came into view.

to be fair it wasn’t as though he hadn’t seen the sight plenty of time before. and whilst it was impressive- what with its towering marble structure which sparkled every bit as much as chan, the aqua blue moat which swished gently around it, the twisting flowers blooming every colour imaginable tangling their ways up the walls invitingly, the golden linings surrounding each door and window and turret, the flocks of birds and what minho could have sworn were fairies dancing around in the air - he did have the hauntingly beautiful image displayed well enough in his mind that there was no need to venture into the burning zone just to glimpse it once more. 

but it was magical, there was no denying that. and somehow it managed to look even better at night. maybe it was because the permanently ‘picturesque’ weather was gone, and he was finally able to truly see it in all its splendour without the constant frustrating drip of sweat down his back, or the feeling that his skin was burning into a crisp. they certainly had the most spectacular sunsets. it seemed genuine insanity, the sky melting into a thousand different colours at once, like a rainbow of pinks, purples, reds and oranges, glowing softly, never too bright, and gentle on his tired eyes.  
and the stars once it was dark,.. now they were really something else, something indescribable. he remembered arriving once in the pitch blackness, the only lights the faint flickering of candles surrounding the boats and spaced along the riverbank every now and then, and his mother guiding his face softly to help him look up at the ceiling of glittering swirls above them, milky pinpricks that twinkled with enchantment. this place was nothing other than a pure heaven. apart from the heat obviously . 

★

later, minho crashed onto his bed the second the servant closed the door, all sense of dignity flowing out his body in a single instant. he noted, gratefully, that the walls were painted a twinkling white and not the usual dark colours that burned his eyeballs, and observed the wooden furniture, the frustratingly thin curtains, and the warm lamp in the corner, but all he managed of the bed underneath him was that it was impossibly comfortable, and before he knew it he’d passed out. 

upon waking up he realised he was surrounded by darkness much to his surprise, and the curtains now floated gently in the cool night breeze, unnaturally beautiful, like almost everything else in this palace. his stomach growled, and registered with slight annoyance that nobody had remembered to wake him for dinner. his brain quickly reasoned that it would have been stuffy and unbearable anyhow before he was struck by another large feeling of discomfort and realised his insides were paying for the emptiness now, rumbling noisily. 

the door creaked as he opened it, peering round the corner. the hallway was pretty much dark, and appeared empty of life too. his feet padded against the floor as he crept down the pristine corridors, attempting to find his way to some sort of food source. on his left he passed by window after window, each one twice his height and five times his width. they portrayed such images of splendour that minho found himself stopping at each and every one just to observe the scenes from a new angle. for whilst the night sky was a dark black above, the servants of the palace had taken up the painstaking task of lighting hundreds and thousands of candle like lights in the garden, surrounding the moat, decorating the garden,, the entire outside world seemed to glow gently, and the sight was magical. magical wasn’t even a strong enough word for the beauty he was able to lay his eyes upon. 

this sight made his progress slow, lost in daydreams of fairy tales and spellbinding enchantments. he barely noticed when he took a wrong turn and ended up in a corridor darker than the rest, turning away from the windows and their magnificence. feeling his way along the walls, he tiptoed along the mysterious corridor carefully, and started when his fingers came to the first door. he continued trailing his hands along the wooden bumps, being careful as he neared where he thought the door might end. when he reached the next door however, he was alarmed to notice that it was slightly ajar, and a small crack of light was streaming from within, pulsating gently.

his curiosity spiked, and he pushed the door gently, squinting when the light hit his eyes which had become so accustomed to the darkness. the wooden room was bathed in a golden glow, the dark brown floorboards and furniture beckoning comfortingly, despite being so similar to the colour he usually despised. the room smelt like it was full of magic and secrets, and he found his feet being led deeper inside, strangely attracted to the peculiar vibe it possessed. 

“what are you doing here?” a sharp voice rang out.  
minho twisted quickly, alarmed to see a young man standing round the corner just beyond the door.  
his mouth dropped open.  
“i said, what are you doing here?” the man asked, more insistent this time, arms crossed over his body.  
minho could only stand and stare. it was him, the boy at the airport, the aerocian prince, his supposed biggest rival. and he was wearing a dress. a black dress. his mouth stayed devoid of words, only his eyes were able to move, raking over the prince’s body, noting every delicate fold, swish, curve of the dress displayed on his body. there were small red strawberries dotted along, bringing it to life, and a cord tied round his waist, accentuating his perfect proportions. he looked stunning.  
minho managed to drag his eyes away from the dress for two seconds to look up at the boy’s face. it looked frightened, and slightly angry. no wonder. he was wearing the wrong colours after all. and in the form of a dress.  
“i just.. i just saw light and i- i “ minho stuttered.  
“you mustn't tell anyone.” spat the boy, anger flaring, “you mustn’t, do you hear me?”  
“i- i won’t i swear.” minho stammered.  
his eyes darted round the room, trying desperately to avoid looking at the prince in front of him. he noted the large mirror behind him, gilded with gold, and next to it a wooden wardrobe, left wide open. his eyes caught the pink strawberry dress hanging slightly further away from the rest and widened. they were hooked, stuck, he couldn’t look away. he wanted it. it was extraordinarily pretty and looked so floaty and comfortable he just wanted to put it on and feel it swish against his body and- 

“hey..”  
minho snapped out of it as the other boy broke the silence they were encased in. the prince had followed his eyes to the dress, and was now staring at his face unnervingly, in a way that minho could feel himself being read.  
“you can try it on if you want…”  
shit shit shit. had he really been that obvious?  
“i won’t tell anyone, i swear. it’s just… you look like you’re itching to, and well… i think you’d look pretty.” he managed to get out. “pink would suit you.” he added as an afterthought.  
“i’m- i’m not allowed.” minho said, his lip starting to tremble. he kept his eyes down at the floor, unwilling to look at anything else lest he be tempted. his entire body itched as the silence thickened, suffocating them relentlessly. 

“i have to go.” he muttered finally. he turned to exit through the door before the prince could worm his way into his brain anymore, but the boy was swift on his feet and closed it softly before minho could take another step. he was closer now, standing right in front of him, and minho could see every feature even clearer. they were perfect. of course they were.  
“come on minho please…” he said, “aren’t you tired of wearing black?”  
“how do you know my name?” minho asked, surprised, “and how do you know that i…”  
“that you’re tired of your colours? don’t be silly, anyone can see that,” he shot back.  
minho nibbled his lip slightly, worried now.  
“was i really that transparent?” he questioned, attempting to stop his tears from spilling embarrassingly.  
jisung thought his heart might melt as two large eyes gazed up at him, fear apparent.  
“no no.” he said quickly, backtracking, “i mean, i think i’m just observant. i had to watch you, you see, since you’re my rival and all. but i think i just... i mean somehow i could just… i could tell that you hated the colours. the stiff clothes too of course, i never did understand why you tanos people insist on wearing the most uncomfortable attire possible.”

minho let out a small ‘oh’ before stumbling backwards slightly to sit on the bed. jisung moved with him, settling beside him before putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
“listen… it’s okay. there’s nothing wrong with you i swear. i mean, i feel the same way so…” he murmured quietly“ the colours are stupid.” he finished angrily.  
the tanos prince took in a deep breath, shoulders shaking slightly as he processed what the other boy had just told him.  
“you don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.” he got out quickly, “i just thought you might want to try on the dress since you were eyeing it up so eagerly earlier... but you can just leave if you’d rather. you can even walk out of here and tell everyone what you saw if that’s how you really feel...i’ll try not to mind.” he was stumbling over his words now, face beginning to tinge pink with awkwardness.  
minho shook his head softly and felt the boy exhale in relief next to him.

“okay good. i’m jisung. i wear dresses sometimes. usually in the wrong colour.” he joked, trying to lighten the mood slightly. he felt minho giggle faintly beside him before sobering up again.  
“what does it feel like?” he asked seriously.  
“the dress?”  
“yeah.” said minho softly.  
jisung saw the hope shine in his eyes, the brightest light on earth and thought carefully before speaking.  
“it feels… it feels like nothing else in the world.”

★

half an hour later minho lay staring up at the ceiling in a state of unexplainable bliss. jisung really hadn’t lied when he said the dress would make him feel like he was flying. the pink waves flowing from his waist made him feel like he was the prettiest fairy on planet earth. he felt lighter than he ever had before, giddy with happiness and excitement as he skipped and leapt around, watching it twist and twirl, or fan out like the largest, most beautiful flower when he spun in circle after circle.

after he’d put in on earlier, him and jisung had simply stood and stared into the mirror for a good ten minutes. all the magic in the world couldn’t compare to it. the entire room felt enchanted, as though under a spell. they had finally escaped the rigid rules of the kingdoms. here they could break them all and fly, have the times of their lives. as they’d gazed, the strawberries on their dresses seemed to giggle and encourage them, tinkling laughter bringing a smile to both their faces, and jisung began hopping around with a mischievous grin painted on his already glowing face. the room became a mess of black and pink and golden light, painting a rainbow more beautiful than any other one minho had seen in his entire life. 

he supposed too, there was something beautiful about the whole… forbidden nature of it all. the fact that he was here, with jisung, of all people, trying on dresses, and in the wrong colour. he couldn’t even work out which one of these three things would land him with the worst punishment so he just laughed instead. fuck the kingdoms. this was true freedom, something he’d never forget. even if he withered away for the rest of his days, smothered in masculinity, dark colours and suffocated by the duty of being an isolated prince away from his one true friend, they would never be able to take this memory away from him. his one memory of entire happiness. so really, fuck the kingdoms, thought minho. he didn’t need them anymore.


End file.
